The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station situated between East Dublin and Pleasanton, CA on Interstate 580, features a unique architectural design. Planners of an adjacent parking structure recognized that they needed to create a structure aesthetically compatible with the BART station. To help meet that objective, designers chose woven metal fabric from Cambridge Architectural. The result is an artistic and complementary blending of the two facilities. The Cambridge system's stunning, large-scale panels of architectural mesh merge elegantly with the BART parking structure's exterior, making it welcoming and memorable.

Function

The metal fabric system was designed to cover large openings from floor to floor without necessitating a great number of reinforcements and building protrusions. Stainless steel mesh can serve as a functional part of the building envelope without sacrificing transparency. Safety and security is enhanced because the mesh does not block views from inside-out or outside-in.

Benefit

Cambridge Architectural applications combine superior aesthetics with high-quality performance, eliminating the need for additional materials. The BART parking garage was assembled with Talon attachment hardware - which grips and holds a reinforced rod in tension at the top and bottom edges of a mesh panel - and saved the cost of additional hardware by employing tension to preserve the mesh's structural integrity. The virtual indestructibility and lifecycle of the mesh facade reduces maintenance costs, and assures that there will be no need for replacement materials. Additionally, Cambridge's metal fabric panels were specifically engineered to fit the structure's expansive open levels, ensuring a successful and issue-free installation.

Cambridge's stainless steel mesh system holds up very well in the natural environment, and will maintain its pristine look for many years to come. Additionally, Cambridge systems reduce the reliance on energy-consuming HVAC systems by promoting improved air quality through increased ventilation. Cambridge Architectural is an active member of the USGBC®, and helps architects take maximum advantage of LEED credit through the many categories in which architectural mesh systems apply.